Transposed layer conductor



June 21, 1960 s. RAISBECK TRANSPOSED LAYER CONDUCTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 26, 1956 lNl/ENTOR y 6. RA/SBECK ATTORNE V June 21, 1960 G. RAISBECK 2,942,211

TRANSPOSED LAYER CONDUCTOR Filed Nov. 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L smh u+ Sin u w 1(a) Cosh (L-CasU, 2 L 4(9/nh Cos +Cosh s/n 2 Cosh u.- C05 u.

F/G. 4 L0 a- RAT/0 [fi FOR WH/CH LOSS |.o //v CENTER CONDUCTOR /s F G. 2 MIN.

b- L055 RELATIVE To A souo CENTER CONDUCTOR OF THE SAME 00m? D/A. Q5 c- LOSS IF Z;/I3 Q5 o l 2 a 4 4 OPT/MUM RATIO OF co/voucrm D/AMETERS FIG. 3

INVE/V TOP 6. IPA/$856K o 0.5 lb [.15 2.0 M

RA r/o 0F INNER CONDUCTOR RESJ'O THAT OFA SOL/D WIRE OF THE SAME D/A- ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,942,211 TRANSPOSED LAYER CONDUCTOR Gordon Raisbeck, Bernards Township, Somerset County,

NJ., assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., acorporation of New York Filed Nov. 26, 1956, Ser. No. 624,309 I iim z C 3 This invention relates to electrical transmission lines for the transmission of a; wide {band of frequencies, and, more particularly; to such transmission lines which have three or more conducting elements.

It is an object of this invention to provide an electrical transmission line having. an increased transmission effic en /mt It is another object of this invention to provide an electrical transmission line of the concentric conductor type having reduced attenuation over a band of frequencies."

In the transmission of electromagnetic waves, the current distribution which is substantially uniform through out the cross-sectional area of a conductor at very low frequencies becomes nonuniform as frequency is increased. Let us consider, for example, the case of a solid conductor to which are applied waves of increasing frequency. At direct-current and very low alternatingcurrent frequencies the current is substantially uniformly distributed throughout the cross-sectional area of the conductor and the resistance of the conductor and hence the conductor loss is at a minimum. As the frequency is increased, the current density becomes a maximum at that surface of the conductor which is exposed to the main field of the waves, which, in the present example, is the outer surface, and decreases as distance from the field increases, i.e., toward the center of the conductor. The rate at which the current density decreases is dependent upon the frequency and the material of the conductor and, for most conducting materials, at high frequencies the current density at the center of the conductor becomes negligible while the'current density at the conductorsurface is a maximum. This phenomenon is.

commonly known as skin effect and a skin depth" is defined as the distance measured inwardly from the surface of the conductor in which the current density decrease by'one neper, i.e., the point at which the current density becomes times the density at the surface of the conductor, where e is the natural logarithm base. Because of the skin effect phenomenon the alternating-current resistance of the conductors increases as the frequency increases, becoming quite large at the higher frequencies, necessitating frequent amplification of the signal where the conductor is used in a transmission system of appreciable length.

It has long been recognized that the alternating-current resistance of a conductor to high frequencies can be substantially reduced over a wire band of such frequencies if the conductor is formed of a number of conducting elements or members connected in parallel and transposed often so that each conductor receives its share of exposure to the main field. This amounts to forcing the current to distribute itself over the cross-sectional area of the composite ofconducting elements, thereby increasing the total current carrying area. It follows,

Patented June 21, 1960 2 then, that the alternating-current resistance is decreased substantially and the frequency dependency of the alternating-current resistance is likewise decreased.

Another way of looking at the reason for the reduction in losses brought about by transposing the con ductors'is based upon the fact that a transmission line having three parallel conductors can support two modes of transmission over a wide band of frequencies. If two pure modes propagate along the line with different wave velocities, the currents which they induce in the conductors will gradually fall in and out of phase with each other throughout the length of the line. When the currents are in phase, the losses are greater than when the currents are out of phase. Over a long length of line, the phases pass through many cycles, and the power loss averages out to be the same as if the pure modes were propagated independently. If, over a short length of line, two modes are propagated so that there is a substantial cancellation of currents, the losses are reduced so long as the currents substantially cancel. When the differential phase shift between modes begins to 'be appreciable, it is necessary, in order to forestall an increase in' losses, to electrically terminate the line and launch the power onto a new section of line. This termination of the line and relaunching of the power is expeditiouslyaccomplished by periodically transposing two of the conductors of the three-conductor line, such as, for example, in the manner shown in the copending United States'pa-tent applications of W. H. Doherty, Serial Nos. 519,022, now Patent 2,779,814, January 29, 1957, 519,108, and 519,206, new Patent 2,886,628, May 12, 1959, which were filed on June 30, 1955, or in any suitable manner known in the art. I

Transposition of the conductors in a transmission line results in decreased losses and increased efliciency over a band of frequencies. The amount of reduction in losses and increase in efiiciency is, however, dependent upon such matters as the frequency of the electromag netic waves to be transmitted, the dimensions of the conductors themselves, and the relationships among certain of these dimensions. Analysis and experimentation have shown that there exist certain optimum dimensions for transposed conductors which produce a maximum reduction in attenuation in the transmission line.

In accordance with the present invention, a transmission line having three or more parallel conducting members is provided which is a great improvement in many respects over conventional two-conductor transmission lines. In an illustrative embodiment of the invention a coaxial cable is constructed having a composite center conductor. The center conductor comprises an inner conducting mem'ber surrounded by an intermediate con ducting member which is concentric with and insulated from the center conductor. The inner conducting memberand the intermediate conducting member are periodically transposed in any suitable manner'such as, for example, any one of the transposition arrangements shown in the aforementioned copending applications of W. -H. Doherty.

1 In accordance with one feature of this invention, the thickness of the intermediate member is optimized for the particular frequencies of operation, so that minimum attenuationis realized.

In accordance with another feature of this invention the ratio of the diameters of the outer and inner conductors is likewise optimized so that a maximum reduction in attenuation and increase in trans-mission efficiency is obtained.

The invention will be more readily understood by referr ing to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectiongof a coaxial type cable embodying the. principles of. the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a chart of. certaincharacteristics oflthe inner conductor oi the. cable of Fig l as compared to.a. solid inner conductor;

Fig. 3 is a. graph of; theoptimum ratiostoi-the cqrtr cl iame rs rsus he aria ions in. h ratio at the resistance offtheinner conductor of, Fig. 1 to the re-- sistance of a solid' conductor;

Eig. 4'is a graphshowing the variationsin certain of h pa me e nv v d; a d

Fig, 5 is a cross-sectional: view of a conductor, em: bodying the principles of the invention.

h nina o Q g; th re is howmhy way; ot xjple, co l WPF- 11DJi 9D line. 11,. sompii inn an Outer c nd ctor a. ma n i lectric. member 13,

d mp i n r. ondu tor .4. C nd ctor 14mm prises an inner conducting member 15 and, a thittro utelf conducting member 16 concentricj with member 15 and insulated therefromby insulating member- 17. Both the dielectric member 13 and insulating member 11' may be of any dielectric material suitable; for use coaxial cables, While dt t jl andus ne m mbcrsili and 1e are ofany suitable.conductinggmaterialesuchias; ion-example,- copper.-

In Order at h i n im m im sfi ntl n sno t ss for a coaxial line ofthe type shown ir 1'Pig 1 maybe determined; it 'isgnecessary to investigate the transmission losses in such a-line: The-k sses in 'a' solid conductor with a coaxial return are easily computed. A1tablev of suchlosses'is found in Radio; Engineersjflandbools? by F; E: T'erman, (McGraw-Hill, .43), o n' page $1; The losses that are-tabulated are for; an isolated solid; con"; ductor. However, as long asthere-iszsymmetry-about the axis of a solid conductor, as'is'the case'with a circular coaxial line, the conductor may be regardedjas'isolated. The losses'fora tubular conductor with coaxial return, where the current isreturned'either inside or outside,- are likewise given in theaforementioned Radio Engineers: Handbook on page33. In the case of the cable of-Fig. l, wherethe intermediate tubular conductor 16 has returncurtent-both, inside and outside the-tube, the determination of the losses becomes: quite. complicated. In an article entitled The Electromagnetic Theory of Goaxial Transmission Lines. and Cylindrical Shields by S. Schelkunofi, Bell System Technieallournal, vol 13, October,. 19 3 4, pagest532579 the .casewherethe tubular conductor has return current bothinside and ou t. side the .tube is studied. The following analysis. is basedupon that study.

&1ppose the'currents in 'the'conductors of the cable of Fig." 1 areasfollows:

Ite a un e. le d LQfiQg lem t s; (1 zs =:-s1r nt'in'condustingtelementz 16: 2);

[ad manent ina conductor: 12.: (3) here r-ir ri' sE and w-is-the frequency-in radians per second; 1' is-timein seconds, p is-the-phaseconstant, which is-assumed to beapproximately thesame fon bothmodes of propagation. and Z is distance measured along the longitudinal axis inthe directionof propagati'om. Assumingztheattenuation to. be small, which is; a validassumptiomsince; the; length of line under consideration;- is; then the total loss per unit length of cable 11;is

+l sl mblj+llaP (5) W 1 JilRl-rij /fil am y. e human/511 (6) N 1 w sinh u+sin u 21rT g cosh u'cos u (7) l sinh M i-sin g1, zagv graders-c65 1 (8) R 1- sinh uQ-i-siiitw a tare-sa a 11- L'; u U P 1 s nh cos l-cosh sin g t2) g cosh u-cos u and r radineoficonductingmember 15 =inn'erradiusof conductin-g'membesilfi r =inner radius of conductor-12 t thickness ofconducting member 16 ta -thickness of conductingmemben ll 1 ;t =magnetic permeability of members 15 ,21

12l1 espectively; I gi,- g,-- gf-:conductivity= of members; 15;. 16:- andi spectivelyq Y f V 8 6 6 =skin depth of members 15, 16, and 121W I jtivel'y; 1

ell? sirl;

Qfjtli'e. five; loss given, on 8.fitif d?- see offfiquationrihthe first term renresnts'tli'dlig nest in he c n er; con c ingmemh rl 5. and} thelfii h renresents. h loss. in r. dl or 1.2. tion of the'loss termsz within= thev brackets in; E qiiafibn 5 reveals. that: only h term. inv ving. Rs. ei nds' um. the. telati ph ses f. 1. n T13, nd inv lii sfthvfact'dt" (1512+RI3 i| |I3|cQa-s 11) where-0 is the'angle of phase -'difierencebe tween' 1 and I Itisreadily-apparent that any reduction in losses pends upon Ri being'largeand 'I and' Il-g-bejngsiich that the term involving Ra is negative.

If we assume that theskin'depth, the-thickness of 'tlie dielectric layer 17 and the thickness 1 ofc ndhctihg member 16 are-allsmall relative to the radius rtof her 15; then-Equations 6through 10 are greatly simplified andacomparison of the losses" in condueting members 15 and-'16, taken as one compositeconductofi -with the loss in a solid conductor of the satires-seminarians; of conductor 14, is possible. Such a comparison is charted in Fig. 2. In Figs: 2, the abscissa is in terms ofthedimensionlessratio 4:. hsnee s, alid-ta ab taatia s a xt esx fi emen... an eunsie qnsideration. Th n t m ns o less, unitsrawa i-H 3! 2 s t r he ur en i n. e s snn on emn me als; o hew tsmlari e t tms wndu t H es-whisk: 10 is -a minimum, curve b is the loss -im composite eon ducton-14- relative tothe lossin a solid. conduetor of the; same outerdiamete and curve c is the-investor.

posite; conductor 14-re1ativeto-the loss. in; a solid.

conductor of; the same outer diam ter when-the current is evenly dividedE between; conductore 15- and, 12.- Ex. aminationoi thegraph of Fig, 2 reveals thatwhen curye (alias a1- value=of approximately 0.5 on the both;

curves b and c -are'at aminimum alue-of approxh mately 0.65 onthe ordinate. Inlother words, forthat particular current distribution-composite conductor 14. ex-. hibits 35 percent less loss than a solid conductor having the same outer dimensions. f In a normal-coaxial line 78 percent'of the effective resistance in .-the center conductor and 22 percent in the outer conductor. As demonstrated by curves b and c of Fig. 2, when the current is evenly distributed between the-:cente'r' and intermediate conductor'of the cable of Fig. 1, the resistance of. the composite conductor 14 i s 65 percent of thatof a solid conductor. I

In Fig. 3 there -is--showna plot of the optirnum' ratio of the outer conductor diameter to the inner conductor diameter. As can be seen from Fig. 3, .where the composite inner conductor '14 of the cable 11 of Fig. 1 has the: 'same' resistance as a solid inner conductor ofthe same dimensions, the optimum ratio of the diameters is- An examination of Fig. 2 shows that both curves b and have their minimum value when u is equal to approximately 1.64. However, it is readily apparent from Fig.2 that asubstantial reduction in loss can be had for:

values of 14 between one and two, the corresponding values or t ranging from 0.5 skin depths to 1.0 skin depths.

f- In Fig.- there is shown a cross section of the center conductor18 and core 19 of a steel core'cable, such as a 3.59, a value well known to workers in the art. However, when the resistance of composite conductor 14 is 65 percent of that of a solid conductor, the optimum ratio of the diameters is approximately-3.99.

Thus far we have considered the behavior of a composite conductor such as conductor 14.0f Fig. l as compared to a solid conductor of the same dimensions. It has been shown that such a conductor has a minimum resistance when the currents in the conducting elements of the composite conductor are approximately equal. Such equality of currents is advantageously maintained by transposing the conducting elements in any of' a number of suitable ways, such as, for example, the forms of transpositions shown in the aforementioned copending applications of W. H. Doherty. It has also been shown that when such a composite conductor is used in a coaxial cable, the ratio of outer to inner conductor diameters which yields optimum performance is 3.99 or approximately 4. The foregoing conclusions are based upon upon the assumption that the thickness t, of intermediate conductor 16 was small. In order that maximum benefits may be obtained by using a composite conductor such as conductor 14 of Fig. 1, it is necessary to determine the value of t, at which performance is optimum. From Equations 8, 9, and it is apparent that the terms involving u are the terms which are of greatest im portance in determining the value of t, inasmuch as u relates the thickness t: to the frequency in terms of the skin depth 8. In Fig. 4 theseterms are plotted for different values of the parameter u. The total loss attributable to these terms is, from Equations 8, 9, and 10 sinh u+ sin u sinh 2 u u cos cosh sin 2 2 where and k, and k are constants independent of I and 1 If the constant part, which does not depend on u is By differentiating with respect to u and setting the result equal to zero, Equation 13 has a minimum, when I; is equal to minus submarine cable, utilizing the principles of the present invention. For simplicity, the remaining portions of the cable, including the outer conductor, are not shown. Core 19 comprises a plurality of strands 21 of steel or similar material which are intended to impart strength and flexibility to the structure. Surrounding core 19 is a plastic insulating sheath 22 of any suitable material. Conductor 18 comprises an inner conducting shell 23 and an outer conducting shell 24 spaced from shell 23 by a thin layer of insulating material 25. For optimum performance of the conductor arrangement of Fig. 5, where conducting shells 23 24 are transposed to maintain current bal. ance, the thicknesses of shells 23 and 24 must be properly chosen. As has been shown in the foregoing, the thickness of shell 24 should be 0.82 skin depths at the highest frequency of operation contemplated. The optimum thickness of inner shell 23 is readily obtained from the article entitled Electromagnetic Theory of Coaxial Transmission Lines and Cylindrical Shields" by S. A. Schelkunotf, Bell System Technical Journal, October 1934, pages 532-579. On pages 559 and 560 of that article it is shown that the optimum thickness of a tubular inner conductor is times the skin depth at the frequency of operation. Thus in conductor 18 of Fig. 5 shell 23 has a thickness of times the skin depth, shell 24 has a thickness of approximately 0.82gtimes the skin depth, and the shells are periodically electrically transposed so as to carry substantially equal amounts of current. With such a structure, losses are over a wide band of frequencies.

It is to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention as applied to transposed conductors, and that application to other types of conductors is within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A transmission line for electromagnetic waves comprising an inner current-carrying member, an outer current-carrying member coaxial therewith, and a thin intermediate current-carrying member between said inner and outer members and concentric therewith, said thin intermediate member having a thickness between one-half and one skin depth at the highest frequency of electromagnetic? waves, means for causing said inner member and said intermediate member to carry substantially equal amounts of current comprising periodic electrical transpositions between said inner member and said intermediate member, and the ratio of the inside diameter of the outer member to the outside diameter of the intermediate memher being approximately 4 to 1.

the submarine type comprising a stranded wreniemise'r, I

an inner current-carrying members surrounding said core member and insulated'therefromg; said inner conducting member having a thickness of approximately skin depths at thehighest frequencyi of. opa-ati'omofi cable, athin outer current-carrying member surroundingsaid'ainner member. andiusulated: therefrqm' the thickness of said outer member being between one-half and: one:- skin; depth at the. highest frequency:- ofi operationgofi said cable; andzmeanse ton causingasaicflinnen membbnandtsaidl one? to ca'nry -sub'stantialiy' equal ainq tsof current comprising-periodicelectrical} transpositions be-- said' memb'e'r ands'aid outer rrie'inber; I y

A center cb'hd'uetor assembly fen use in a' cable of the submarine type according to claim 3' wherein the thickness o'f said' GuEer-memben'is approximately 0.82 skin depth? at the frequency ofoperation of said cable.- i

References (*liteiliin thefile' ofthispatent v sit-512* smrss PATENT al ens me wasti ew omen REFERENCES.

Moment filed. De ember 31,1954; i 

